wells.morgan•2mo ago

My 3-month-old sauerkraut batch in my Brooklyn kitchen suddenly turned pink and slimy last Tuesday, so I dumped the whole jar, sanitized everything with Star San, and started over with a fresh cabbage head and more salt.

Has anyone else had a batch go weird that far into the ferment, and what do you think causes that specific pink color?

3 comments

3 Comments

stellafisher2mo ago

Pink slime is usually a yeast called kahm, lmao.

taylor.jessica2mo ago

Yeah stellafisher, that's mostly right. Kahm yeast is common but pink slime can be other stuff too. Always better to just toss anything pink in your ferment.

carr.willow6d ago

I had a batch of sauerkraut last year that got a pinkish film on top and I just scraped it off thinking it was harmless. Threw the whole thing out after a friend told me pink can mean bacteria or mold that's not worth the risk. Your post seals it for me - I won't mess around with pink slime ever again. Better safe than sorry with ferments.